Fleas: Identification and Extermination

You need to check for signs your pets have fleas as well as signs that signify fleas are in your home. 

You might notice visible pests in your pets' fur when you search them. You might even want to purchase a flea comb and run it through your pets' coat to search for these parasites. Fleas are reddish-brown and around an eighth of an inch in length. Their hind legs are large to help them leap from place to place. However, since fleas are so small in general, they might look like tiny dots on your pet.  

Unfortunately, if you find one, you should search all of your pets' fur. If one of your pets has one adult flea, they may have immature fleas too. 

You should also look for signs your pets have fleas by their mannerism and health since fleas are often hard to spot on animals with darker fur. For instance, if your pets have fleas, they may itch frequently. Your pets may lose their fur because of the biting and scratching. Plus, their skin may appear visibly irritated.

Smaller pets, in particular, can develop pale gums because the fleas can cause anemia.  

In addition to the signs your pets have fleas, you also should check for signs of fleas in your home. For one, the fleas may bite you and your family. They tend to bite humans' ankles. The reaction humans develop from a flea bite depends on how allergic a human is to the fleas. For example, you might only have small dots, or you may break out in hives. 

Check your carpet, bedding, and curtains where you might notice the fleas in action. You might also notice flea dirt. Flea dirt looks like specks of pepper. This flea reminiscence is dried blood that the parasites leave behind.  

You also should look for white specks. These oval-shaped dots are flea eggs. You can usually find them where your pet lies the most, like your furniture or their bed. Additionally, you may notice the flea larvae, which look like small, brown-headed worms. 

Once you identify you have fleas, you need to act quickly. Fleas multiply fast, so a small problem can become an entire infestation quickly. 

First, you want to remove the fleas from your pet. You may purchase an over-the-counter solution or consult with your veterinarian on an appropriate course of action. If you don't currently use any flea prevention method, look into your options and discuss them with your vet as well.   

You also need to treat your home or your pets will continue to experience problems with fleas. While solutions are available in stores, you can hire a pest control company that can remove the fleas quickly and completely. If you take matters into your own hands and don't remove every flea, they can continue to breed and harm your pet.

A flea infestation is more than just stressful because fleas can harm your pets. If you take actionable steps though, you can rid your home of them and prevent fleas in the future. 

Schedule an appointment with Bobby Grisson's Pest Management, serving various parts of Brevard, FL, and the surrounding region, if you suspect you have fleas in your home.